


Synchronous Orbit

by Quettaser



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 20:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8174638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quettaser/pseuds/Quettaser
Summary: There's a few metallic clangs and Wheein's head appears again. "Try the light now." Moonbyul flips the switch for the light Wheein's fixing. There's a fizzing sound, but no light, so Moonbyul flips the switch off again. "Also," Wheein continues, wagging a wire cutter at Moonbyul in a shaming fashion, "it doesn't count as trying to talk if you just follow her around, poking her all the time, and expecting her to read your mind. You have to use actual words, like, 'Oh, Solar-unnie, my one and only pilot of my heart, captain of my lady parts-'""Yah! I can make this scaffolding fall down," Moonbyul interrupts, but it doesn't stop Wheein's dramatic gestures, which have now morphed into some kind of charade of making out.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [renquise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/renquise/gifts).



> Loved your prompts and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> My specialty should be writing Space AUs and naming them after spaceflight terms.

"You should just talk to her, unnie," Wheein says, head disappearing behind a stage light up in the scaffolding. Her voice echoes around the bar, bouncing off of the stage at the front and the mirrored wall at the back.

Moonbyul sighs and leans over the light console at the back of the former cargo bay. "You think I haven't tried? She just doesn't take me seriously." She's been trying to get Solar to understand things for years now. If something or someone isn't pointing a laser pistol or waving won at her, it's basically a lost cause. Moonbyul has gotten used to the soft feelings that overwhelm her when she tries to confront Solar, only to then be immediately followed by a crushing weight when Solar doesn't respond in kind.

There's a few metallic clangs and Wheein's head appears again. "Try the light now." Moonbyul flips the switch for the light Wheein's fixing. There's a fizzing sound, but no light, so Moonbyul flips the switch off again. "Also," Wheein continues, wagging a wire cutter at Moonbyul in a shaming fashion, "it doesn't count as trying to talk if you just follow her around, poking her all the time, and expecting her to read your mind. You have to use actual words, like, 'Oh, Solar-unnie, my one and only pilot of my heart, captain of my lady parts-'"

"Yah! I can make this scaffolding fall down," Moonbyul interrupts, but it doesn't stop Wheein's dramatic gestures, which have now morphed into some kind of charade of making out. Moonbyul goes through the mental exercise of how many things would break if she did drop the scaffolding down on the tables below. Probably too expensive, even if it would be really satisfying.

Wheein won't shut up, crooning things like, "Oh, Yongsun, your hair is so soft," and "I'm the best at punching things, unnie, I'd punch the moon of Neo-Seoul for you," when the ship's intercom hisses to life.

"Knuckleheads!" Solar's voice is particularly piercing through the speakers. "Hyejin's managed to get us 10 passengers that want to leave in three hours for Jeju. How's the repair going?"

Moonbyul leans on the button to reply. "If Wheein could get her head out of her ass, we'd be done in about 20 minutes." Out of the corner of her eye, Moonbyul sees Wheein make a rude hand gesture, but she's strictly in her Ignoring Wheein mode now.

Solar's laugh rings back through the intercom, "So, never?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, takeoff in three hours, welcoming show at two hours flight time."

"Roger that, captain. We'll be ready."

Entertainment shuttles were common in this sector of the galaxy. Rich people were willing to pay a pile of won for the pleasure of flying to their exclusive resorts in style. Themeing the shuttle was a common practice (the VIXX cleaned up with the rich-and-into-horror crowd), and the Mamamoo's cargo bay had been outfitted to look like a vintage bar and stage. There was even a real piano in the corner - not that it had real strings anymore, those had been replaced with an electrical system years before Wheein found it in a thrift market on Busan 6.

One of the stage lights had blown during their last trip, and Wheein had to fix the rig while Hwasa was out scouting for more clients. There are times of the year where the Mamamoo's booked solid for weeks at a time, but this isn't one of them. Moonbyul's glad that Hwasa is in charge of scouting and booking clients. Before Hwasa and Wheein joined the crew, Moonbyul and Solar could barely get anyone to pay for their services. With a limited amount of won coming in, ship upkeep had been difficult.

But that was probably also around the time that Moonbyul started to fall for Solar in the first place. Solar's determination to be successful, to keep flying no matter what and put on a great show is something Moonbyul believes in, even when it does require her to punch some people. Which is rare, but sometimes clients try to rip them off, or they get ambushed by pirates and punching just happens. But, Moonbyul admits to herself, she probably _would_ punch the moon of Neo-Seoul if it helped keep Solar safe.

"Hurry up, Wheein," Moonbyul says, shaking the thoughts from her head, "I'll need to help Hwasa prep the cabins for the clients."

"Yeah, yeah," Wheein says, back to work on the malfunctioning light, still cooing, "And then unnie can help Solar with her _lips_."

This time, Moonbyul can't ignore the warm feeling that creeps up her chest. Maybe Wheein could be worth listening to, but almost certainly later. Not now. Nope. There was work to be done. Telling Solar about her feelings wasn't terrifying at all. They were just busy. Yup, Moonbyul thinks, too busy to do this now. Clients come first. That's what Solar would want.

Later, with the clients settled in their cabins and the flight path set for Jeju, the crew of the Mamamoo meet in the backstage rooms, once the medical bay of the ship. Their shows were fairly simple, not a lot of props or costume changes, focusing on the performances instead, but getting ready still took some time.

Over the years, Moonbyul has picked up a few tricks from the other girls on the crew, but she still largely stays away from the makeup and hair. She's gotten pretty handy with a needle though, mending small tears and replacing lost sequins. Hwasa's using curlers, apparently "for more texture and volume," while Wheein is busy contorting herself in order to get the highest ponytail possible, "Gravity does most of the work this way." Solar's across the room carefully applying eyeliner and it's only when she winks in the mirror at Moonbyul does Moonbyul realize she's been staring.

Wheein must pick up on it, because she ushers Hwasa out of the room with a complicated sequence of hand gestures and eye rolls. She slides the door shut behind them, shooting Moonbyul what's supposed to be an encouraging thumbs up, but it just leaves Moonbyul’s throat dry. So they're alone now and everything's totally fine and the feelings spreading like a rash across Moonbyul's body are almost as terrifying as the weird alien they found in the fridge that one time in orbit around Ilsan. 

She literally threw that alien out of the airlock and into space, though. She’s taken out more than one group of hostile pirates and knocked out the biggest man she’d ever seen in her life with one hit when he tried to kidnap Hwasa. She could handle some silly feelings, Moonbyul tells herself.

“Yongsun-unnie,” Moonbyul starts, fidgeting with her hands.

Solar puts down her eyeliner and smiles at Moonbyul's reflection in the mirror. It's her big smile, the one that makes her cheeks look even more round and perfect than they normally are and oh god, this is hopeless.

“I like you, unnie,” Moonbyul spits out, breaking eye contact as soon as she's done speaking, trying not to hyperventilate. She hears Solar's chair move, but she doesn't look up until she sees Solar's shoes. She nudges Moonbyul's boot with a heel, colored to match Moonbyul's jumpsuit and Wheein's top. When Moonbyul finally looks up, Solar's still smiling, though it seems softer. It looks the way Moonbyul's spine feels, mushy and pliable.

"Byulyi," Solar says, and it reminds Moonbyul of that time they were stranded in the asteroid belt out past Jeju. When there was nothing they could do but sit in the cockpit and watch the universe float by and Solar held her hand the whole time because she knew Moonbyul hated being stuck in one place with no way out. She's wanted to kiss Solar ever since that day and now her blood is pounding so hard in her ears that she almost misses what Solar says next, "I know. I like you too."

Moonbyul's brain basically short circuits and she finds herself smacking Solar on the arm. "You _know_? What the hell!" Solar makes an offended noise and slaps Moonbyul back. Moonbyul sputters, "For years I've- oh my _god_ ," and it devolves into a flurry of hands smacking each other until Solar grabs Moonbyul's wrists.

"I thought you wanted to take things slow! You always seemed totally freaked out when you tried to talk to me about this stuff."

"I was freaked out because I thought you didn't like me back," Moonbyul says, curling her hands to grab Solar's wrists instead and pulling herself up out of her seat.

"Of course I like you, Byulyi. I just wanted to wait until you were ready."

"Well," Moonbyul says, her hands moving to Solar's shoulders, steeling herself against the nerves still trembling in her fingers, "I'm ready now." And she leans in to kiss Solar, more intimidating and beautiful than that time they almost crossed paths with a comet.

The kiss is sweet, a tender press of lips and Solar's fingers gently rest on Moonbyul's collarbone, igniting a fire in her chest that Moonbyul knows she won't be able to put out.

When the kiss ends, they lean their foreheads together and Moonbyul finds herself whispering, "You know I'd punch the moon of Neo-Seoul for you, right?"

"That seems... unnecessary, but thank you." Solar bites her lip and pulls back, looking at Moonbyul through her lashes. "I'd fly a Starhunter class ship anywhere you wanted."

"You hate those ships. You always say they fly like a pyramid, which doesn't even make sense, by the way."

Solar shrugs and smiles and Moonbyul feels that same warm sensation coiling up through her chest and this time she doesn't resist the urge to kiss Solar, fingers brushing into her hair.

Moonbyul isn't sure how long the kiss lasts, only realizing that it hasn't ended when Hwasa and Wheein come crashing back through the door. "Finally!" Wheenin yells and Hwasa hoots and whoops like a security siren.

"Five minutes to showtime, unnies," Hwasa says, patting both of them on the shoulder and looking every centimeter like a proud mother on Ascension Day.

"Knew you could do it," Wheein says, smacking Moonbyul on the butt. Her first instinct is to go chase her down, but she looks at Solar instead, not wanting to step away just yet.

Solar nods, smirking wickedly and says, "Go get her. I'll help hold her down."


End file.
